SEATTLE MAN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Man Had Hundreds of Graphic Images on His Computer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 5, 2006

CHRISTOPHER JAMES BOWLING, 33, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today to three years in prison and ten years of supervised release for Possession of Child Pornography. BOWLING was indicted September 9, 2005, following a nationwide investigation of internet transmission of child pornography by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As part of the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour, BOWLING will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.

According to documents filed in the case, BOWLING had nearly 92 single images and 7 movie files on his computer that contained graphic images of children engaged in sexual acts. BOWLING admitted to officers that he had sent some of these images to another person over the internet. In a letter to the court, BOWLING expressed remorse and said he understood that he has “contributed to the exploitation of the children who are victims in these photographs.”

Stopping the exploitation of children is a top priority of the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently stated at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia, “Sadly, the Internet age has created a vicious cycle in which child pornography continually becomes more widespread, more graphic, and more sadistic, using younger and younger children.... It is not an exaggeration to say that we are in the midst of an epidemic in the production and trafficking of movies and images depicting the sexual abuse of children.”

At sentencing Judge Coughenour said, “it troubles me greatly that this material comes into our homes and is so easily available.” The Judge agreed with the government’s request that BOWLING be on supervised release for ten years after his prison time to make sure he does not further exploit children.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.